System of locomotion.



U YTED sTATEs PATENT oEEioE.

ALEXANDER L. WEEGG, or NEW YORK, N. Y.

SYSTEM or LocoMoTIoN.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, ALEXANDER L. W. Baco, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of New York, in the county of New York and State of New York, have invented l.certain new and useful JImprovements in Systems of Locomotion, of which the following is a specication.

This invention relates to a system of locomotion, combining conveyers and escalators for freight and passengers. The application pertains to a form of tread having a variable speed, and in which the treads are laterallyplaced, such as referred to in my Patent No. 1,242,641, Sept. 4, 1917; and also refers to certain details of the step formation. One of the objects of the invention is to provide an improved form of tread and step formation in which separate parts may be brought together when desired and also caused to separate, and to advance at different speeds.

In the accompanyingdrawing showing embodiments of my invention, Figure 1 is a side elevation showing the step formations, Figs. 2 and 3 are details of the same. Fig. 4 shows a modification. Fig. 5 is a plan view showing the relative arrangement of the parts. Figs. 6 and 7 are side elevations of the same; and Fig. 8 is a section through the ball bearing chain and tread.

I provide a. series of step formations A which permit of a movement both upward4 and downward from the .horizontal movement by means of a slotted strip t firmly attached to each end ofeach step, and into which slides a pin i projecting from the` adjoining step, whereby to permit a perpendicular relative movement when the steps are caused to move up an incline, as shown in Fig. 1.

The steps A may be divided longitudi-l f nally, as shown in Figs. 2 and 3, for the purpose of causing an increase in the width, and on which increase the meshing planes are brought into play; the increase in width being limited by thc levers which form the link chain connecting the steps.

As shown in Fig. 5 and elsewhere, I pr0'i vide lateral slats P, that `compose a continuously moving platform, supported by members m that are driven continuously by a suitable motor or other driving means. Another set of lateral slats Q arearranged at one side of the said slats P, and are joined by a link-chain 26, running on ball bearingsk i. Speccation of Letters Patent.

Patented sept. 3, 191s.

' Application filed September 1,1917. Serial'No. 189,288.

j formed of balls that run between steel tubing cut laterally, or other suitable supports. The chains are driven by drums z and pinions f. The pinions engage a rack g placed on the under side of the slats P and will be obviously conveyed at the same speed.

The second set of slats Q form a continuous belt on the chain 26 by which they are connected, and they are caused to intrude or project between the slats P, but are taller and hence extend above the slats P, as indicated in Figs. 6 and 7; whereby they will serve to support the passengers or objects that are supported by the slats P before these come together.

I also provide a deflecting means or switch rby which the slats Q can be deflected laterally, as shown in Fig. 5. A sprocket wheel U engages the chain 26 and a ybar h causes a deflection of the chain until it reaches the sprocket wheel V, arranged laterally beyond the sprocket U as shown. This will cause the slats Q and P to separate. Beyond the sprocket V are sprockets W, X and Y of increasing diameter but rotated at the same number of revolutions. This will cause the chain 26 to be compacted and bring the slats Q nearer together as shown. A similar set of sprocket wheels may be provided, not` shown, of progressively reduced diameters whereby the speed is again gradually in`V whose bottom wall is curved as shown in` Fig. 8, to engage substantially the upper half of the balls j.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim is 1. In a system of locomotion, a series of steps, the adjoining steps having a sliding connection permitted relatively in a vertical direction, whereby to form steps on change of movement from a horizontal path to both" the ascending land the descending path.

2. Tn a system of locomotion, a tread divided at its center and provided with means permitting extension longitudinally and meshing means arranged to unify the tread.

lil

3. In a System of locomotion, slats arranged 1n two sets of unequal height, the

higher of the slats projecting upwardly be? tween the slats of the other set to form a` higheil of the sla-ts projecting upwardly `be` tween the slats of the othefset to form a Separate -and'active tread, the slats having means to deflect them obliquely sidewise.

5. In a system of locomotion, slats arranged in two sets of unequal heights, and

the undei` surfaces of which foim channels 20 to engage substantially the upper half of halls forminga series running' in a single channel curved toengage substantially the lower half 'of the balls.

ALEXANDERL. w. BEG-G.

Uopiee of this patent may be obtained 'for five cents each;v by addressing che Commissioner of Patents.

Washington, YD. C. 4 

